Come the Destroyer: The City of Sorcerers
by pastelstrawberry
Summary: A novelization of the popular MMORPG Wizard101. This is the legend of a young girl facing the perils of an endless battle and the eternal struggle within. With a destiny she is bound to, she fights, she cries, she triumphs, and she never wins. She is the fighter, the savior, the warrior goddess, the destroyer. She is Destroya. Book One: The City of Sorcerers.
1. Chapter 1

_She stood with her sword drawn at the center of the chaos. Wisps of cloudy, black fog swirled all around her and red lightning coursed through the sky. She did not know where she was or what was happening. Monsters surged out from the shadows as descended onto her. She raised her blade and swung, bringing her enemies down with each deadly strike. All around her she could hear cries, voices gasping for breath and begging for salvation, and as she walked onwards, their blood gathered in thick pools around her feet. With every lost soul's wail she felt a tightness in her heart that she had never felt before. Failure. Disappointment. Anguish. Pain. Anger. I couldn't save them. I destroyed them all. I am not the Savior._

* * *

**Be Careful What You Wish For**

A shriek of terror pierced the silence of the night.

The young girl with rose colored hair jolted awake, quickly sitting up in her bed. Short, shallow gasps were emitted from her lungs in a futile attempt to catch her breath. From the slightly cracked window, moonlight poured through the glass along with an eerie coolness than ran over her porcelain skin. For a moment she held her breath as she glanced around the room. The closet was closed. A collection of plush animals was gathered neatly in the corner. There was nothing there, nothing but the silhouette of a spider sliding down its web before the window, casting a long shadow on the opposite wall.

Still on edge from her nightmare, the girl gasped loudly as it descended toward the ground. She turned away and peered into the shadow, almost feeling as if something could come alive from it. She could almost see a face within the darkness of the spider's form, moving and blinking as if it was watching her, and the longer she stared, the more she felt drawn toward it. It almost willed her to reach out and touch it, but she felt as though it would reach back and steal her away from the mortal world. It would devour her. It did not last long, though, for the door at the far left corner suddenly creaked open. That was right. _Monsters do not live under our beds or lurk within the shadows. They are only alive inside of our heads._

"Claire, are you alright?" asked a small voice in a motherly tone.

"Yeah," she began in an unsure voice. "I just had a scary dream. I'm alright, though."

"Okay then. Goodnight."

As the door closed, the girl let out a sigh of relief. She laid her head down onto her pillow once again and stared into the ceiling until her eyes became watery. There were no monsters to hurt her there. They were only alive inside her head. They were only a figment of her silly imagination.

...

Claire could already feel the heat finding its way beneath the window, which was still parted slightly from the previous night's terrors. Rays of light shone through and glistened on hundreds of tiny dust fairies that floated through the air. Outside, the trees swayed and the birds chirped underneath the summer sun, and the scent of sizzling bacon drifted into the girl's nose. She rolled out of bed and started toward the door, but before she could put her hand on the knob, she couldn't help but notice the tiny black spider that still lingered on the other side of the glass.

Her younger siblings were gathered around the television downstairs, eyes glued to an episode of their favorite show. Claire's head hung off the end of the couch. She huffed with impatience as she listened to the giggles that came from her younger sisters.

"It's the first day of summer and I'm already bored," she groaned. Her mother rolled her eyes and replied in a harsh tone.

"Well, you're not allowed about it. Find something to do. I won't have whining this summer. You're the one who couldn't wait for school to be out," she warned.

Claire glared at the television, just as the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," she offered, thinking that maybe it would give her something to do. She dragged herself to the door, unlocked it, and pulled it open. It was her neighbor, Suri Daniels.

"Hey!" the girl exclaimed. She had dark raven hair with streaks of red in it that glistened under the sunlight. Her skin was almost transparent and her eyes were nearly black. Despite her almost sickly appearance, she radiated warmth and smiled brightly. "What's going on?"

"We're going to eat breakfast soon. I think you came at the wrong time." Claire teased, yawning. Her mother came up behind her quietly. "We don't mind, Suri. You can come on in and eat with us unless you have already had your breakfast." "Oh, no, I haven't eaten yet ma'am. But I don't want to intrude."

"Nonsense, child. I guess we will just force you to eat with us then!" Her mother began chuckling. She was always welcome to guests, despite the many children already occupying the home, three of which were not related by blood to Claire. "Well, thank you, Ms. Ladden."

The mother began to serve the little children at the table when Claire and Suri walked in, parting from their conversation held outside the door. "Here you go, Suri. We've pulled up an extra chair for you." "Oh, thank you. What are we having?" "There's bacon, eggs, and pancakes. Help yourself to whatever you'd like."

Eight year old Destiny giggled. She already had syrup running down her face, and her brown eyes were filled with delight as she began to stuff herself. Suri ruffled her long black hair. She loved Destiny, for the particular fact that they were almost exactly alike in appearance. Not only that, but their personalities were identical.

The other two adopted children at the table were Caroline and Scarlett. Caroline was the youngest of the group, with silky red hair and brown eyes. Scarlett was the second youngest. She had golden blonde hair and brown eyes, as well. Along with Destiny, they were the only girls in the family who were not related. Claire's mother had worked most of her life as a social worker, and would never turn down anyone in need. Even though they did not have as much money as most, they were a generally selfless family. There were times when Claire could not understand it, though. They had no father to provide income for them. He had died when she was only eight, in a devastating car wreck, and from there on she had to help her mother lead their family on her own. Why they had even thought of expanding she didn't know.

She only had two sisters that she was related to: Sarah and Sierra. Sarah had rosy hair just as she did and was three years younger than her. They were almost identical. Sierra, on the other hand, had taken after her father, and her hair grew in brunette, but their facial features were similar. All of them together were quite the odd family.

Sitting down at the wooden table in the kitchen, they began to eat.

"So how was your last day of school, Suri?" Ms. Ladden politely asked, trying to start up a friendly conversation.

"Oh, it was fine. I'm extremely glad it's summer! I wish my mom would let me go to school with Claire, but she says that we can't afford it, especially because private schools in this town are so expensive lately. Oh well. But the last day at my school was fun anyway. Would have been more exciting, though, with people there that I could actually stand to be around." Claire smiled at the comment.

"Hah, I guess I can say the same."

She set her fork down. "You wanna come up to my room?" Suri beamed. "Sure! I'd love to." Suri had taken off before Claire could even stand up. Claire ran up the carpeted stairs and into her bedroom where her friend was already rummaging through her belongings.

The sun shone down on the room's baby blue walls and casted shadows down onto the white carpet. Claire noticed how they loomed at night, but seemed less menacing in the daytime. But she also noticed that they never really seemed to leave. It was almost like light and shadow could not exist without one another.

Her desk was over by a lamp that normally provided the only brightness in the room. Color flushed the stuffed animals pastel faces now that there was light to the day. Her wooden closet door was covered in art projects and posters.

"Your room is so plain, Claire! I didn't think you were that boring!"

Claire shook her head. "I'm not. We haven't really redecorated this place in a while…"

Suri plopped down onto the fuzzy blue and began reading a celebrity magazine.

"God, her dress is terrible," she muttered under her breath. Now she was just rambling to herself. She hadn't noticed that Claire had left the room, either. The girl headed back down the stairs to her mother, who was washing the dishes, her siblings dispersed. She sat herself down into a chair and began fumbling with the ruffles of the tablecloth.

"Need any help, mom?" she offered. "No thank you, honey. You're so sweet." "Sure." Claire rolled her eyes, sinking further into her seat. Ms. Ladden turned around and looked quite confused.

"What happened to Suri?" she asked. "She's upstairs reading some fashion magazine." Claire laughed at her friend. Just then, the doorbell rang. Her mother furrowed her eyebrows in thought.

"I'm not expecting anyone today. Could you go see who it is for me?"

Begrudgingly, Claire rose from her seat and headed toward the front door.

"It's possibly Suri's parents," Ms. Ladden called out casually.

The sun has just barely risen over the horizon. Warm colors danced across the sky with clouds as daylight was beginning to grow. She expected to see her friend's mother or father, but the figure standing in the doorway was nowhere near a relative of Suri's. Instead, it was an old man. He wore a coffee brown polo beneath a button-up argyle sweater vest and grey slacks. He had a very long, grey beard and a chocolate brown fedora covering his grey head of hair. A curious look covered Claire's face. He did not look suspicious or dangerous, but a dark feeling crept up within her.

"Who are you?" she asked. Her mother, who had been eavesdropping, pushed the child aside and scowled at her.

"That is no way to greet someone, young lady." She turned to the mysterious man. "Excuse her. How may I help you, sir?" He didn't look in any way angry at Claire. He just smiled and stepped forward a bit. "Why, hello, ma'am." His voice sounded very deep and old. "I assume that you are Ms. Ladden."

"Yes, sir, I am." "Well." He paused before speaking once again. "I have come to talk to you about your daughter, Claire." Claire stepped in front of her mother and looked up at the tall figure. "What about me?" He grinned at the pink haired little girl. "You are a sweetheart, aren't you? You seem bold and brave. Is this true?" "Yeah," Claire agreed in a guarded tone. "I guess so," she added, in a tone so soft it could not be heard by the adults around her.

"Well, Ms. Ladden, if you wouldn't mind me coming in."

The taller woman, seemingly persuaded by the man's words, stepped aside reluctantly let the stranger walk through the door. The guest quietly sat down on the sofa in the living room. Claire and her mother sat down across from him and waited for him to speak. There was a thick tension that hung in the air, and suddenly Claire found it hard to keep up her polite composure.

"Claire, you seem like a very kindhearted girl." The pink haired ten year old nodded her head slowly. "That is what I thought. My…acquaintances have been watching you for quite some time, Claire."

Her mother looked very suspicious. "Who has been watching my daughter?" "I'm going to explain this is the most logical way that I can. You could call them Fates, or the Council. They are the beings that choose destinies for young heroes. We have watched Claire quite closely for a long time. She is destined for great things."

"Sir, I don't know-" her mother started. Her voice was slowly beginning to creep upwards.

"Claire is a promising contender as a student at our special school and if you would consider enrollment…" he trailed off. Her mother glared at him. "What is this place called," she asked, "and why have you come to us so suddenly? You aren't explaining anything."

"It is called the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts. My name is Merle Ambrose. I am the headmaster there." Claire's eyes went wide.

"Magic!" she gasped in disbelief "Mom, he's talking about magic!" Claire stared, wide-eyed in her seat up at her mother, who did not look amused.

"Claire, don't be silly. You know there is no such thing as magic. Only the gods use magic. We mortals cannot." She did not tear her eyes away from the mysterious old man. "I don't know why you've come here and what you wish to achieve, but I will ask you to leave now."

The man sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid the use of magic is not limited to gods. I do not come here with lies and fake promises. Your daughter, Claire, is one of the few children who have the…imagination to thrive in our world."

The mother pinched the bridge of her nose and huffed in irritation.

"I don't know who you think you're fooling, but it isn't us. We're not interested in this _"school"_ of yours."

That wasn't enough for Claire. Her interest was piqued. "But what if it is real?" she suggested, cocking her head to the side. "What if magic does exist? Opportunities like this don't just happen for anyone. I could be, like, a wizard!" Her mother was about to deny her, but she wasn't finished "And it would give me something to do over the summer! You would have one less annoying child to deal with! See, I'm annoying you now, right? I don't think someone can easily fake magic, not magic that gods use, at least."

Her words escaped her mouth so fast her mother could hardly keep up. Her mother leaned to the side and thought for a moment while her daughter stared her down with her puppy dog eyes that never left the side of her face.

"And this magic is supposedly real?" her mother asked skeptically. The man had an enthralling charisma that forced the woman to listen to his words. Ambrose nodded.

"The school is centered in a location called Wizard City, one of the many worlds of the Spiral."

"And what is the Spiral?"

"It is a magical galaxy in space that looks just as it sounds." Ambrose explained. "It is filled with stars and worlds, like continents, that inhabit many strange and magical creatures. It is totally safe. No matter what happens in a magical duel, a wizard is never truly harmed. You have a health and mana status that you can refill, and it's good to go.

"There are fairies and unicorns and many mystical creatures that belong to our world. Mortals who are not of a magical status are not allowed to enter through the barrier. There is no evil in our land. It is all for fun."

The woman paused for a moment. "What is mana?"

Grinning slyly, as if he knew he had won the battle, the man continued. "It is a special type of potion that allows you to cast spells. You must have enough mana to cast a certain spell." The room was completely still for what seemed like forever. Claire thought that her mother had frozen.

"This is absurd. I don't believe one minute of this. I can't even begin to tell you how crazy this is!" Her voice rose louder. "If this is for fun then what is the point in going to study there? It's a school, correct? Doesn't sound like much of a school to me."

"This is crazy. But crazy doesn't always mean make-believe." Ambrose revealed his hand and extended it. A wisp of green smoke appeared at his fingertips. The smoke curled around his arm and arose toward the roof. Her mother certainly looked defeated. Her tensed shoulders relaxed for a moment.

"As long as it's only for the summer," her mother sighed, "then I see no harm in going." Claire was overjoyed. Ambrose steadied himself and rose from the couch, a confident look flashing in his eyes. Claire could not help herself but thank her mother over and over. Ms. Ladden suddenly turned to Ambrose and glared at him.

"This better not harm my daughter, or else you will be in great trouble," she warned. He nodded firmly.

"Believe me. We have endless means of protection. Our magic cannot harm us. We've had so many young students graduate from our summer school. All of them love it. There is much excitement and adventure to have in the Spiral. I will bring the enrollment forms shortly, and give you the time to think. I know this seems entirely out of the blue and unimaginable, but we are in need of students. Finding the right children to join us has become increasingly difficult, as of late. We need the income, and I see potential in Claire. We will meet again."

A sudden burst of silver light and stars exploded as he stepped over the threshold in the doorway, and he was gone. The woman shut the door and turned around, her eyes flaming.

"Oh Claire, tell me what I've just agreed to. I can't believe my eyes or my ears."

"But mom, you saw it, right?" Claire protested. "The green smoke and the white light! That could not have been an illusion."

Just then, Suri came hurrying down the stairs looking quite distraught.

"Claire! I was just about to quiz you on celebrity trivia when I looked up and you weren't there! I can't believe you left me!" Claire burst out laughing, but Suri didn't notice what was so funny about it.

"I was gone for a good fifteen minutes, Suri. I can't believe you only noticed it now!" Claire was hysterical. About an hour later, Suri left, and Claire pulled her suitcase out from the depths of her closet. She packed most of her shirts and jeans. She stuffed various other items including her iPod, her phone, a couple of books, and some snacks into the pockets. Ambrose had instant messaged her and told her to pack as much as she could. The instant messenger was like a texting device, but it reached its destination instantly. It had appeared on her bed within a few minutes after the man's departure. The instructions were to drive into the outskirts of town and into the warehouse district. They were to stop at a large brick building and wait near the left entrance. Claire's mother was suspicious about being near such a risky place, but she drove the girl anyway. It was a long and silent drive. They waited on the left side of the building for nearly an hour. The tension grew the longer they waited, and Claire could tell that her mother was becoming increasingly anxious. Within a short period of time, Ambrose appeared in the same burst of silver light as he had disappeared in before.

"Are you ready to depart, young wizard?" he asked. Claire was taken aback by the term _"young wizard"_ and almost forgot to answer.

"Oh, yes. Yes I am." She smiled a wide and nervous smile. The girl said her goodbyes to her worrisome mother, and headed along with the old man. He grabbed her hand, and led her into the warehouse. There was nothing there but old crates and a door. The door stood upright in the center of the building. It looked splintered and old with its spiral shaped window in the center. He led her toward it and she hesitated.

"Don't worry, young wizard, this is the door to the Spiral. It will take you to Wizard City with me."

"Oh." she whispered in a small voice. She did not know what to feel. She was excited, but felt like she should be careful. He took her hand again and with the other, pressed against the spiral. It began to obtain a golden glow until it illuminated the entire warehouse. Her vision went black and suddenly, she stood in the center of a tree. Her luggage was gone, but Ambrose remained beside her. The air inside the tree sparkled gold and lively roots ran up the trunk. The wooden platform on which the door stood was intricately carved with leaves and wonderful patterns. They headed down the step and walked up a wooden ramp to a tiny carved door. From there on, she was in paradise.

There were the most amazing things Claire had ever seen in her life. There were six buildings in the school district that Ambrose called Ravenwood. Each building had its own tower as well. On the right of the massive tree were the green Life school, the golden Myth school, and a patch of smaller floating islands. On the left were the purple Storm school, the blue Ice school, and the red Fire school. Ambrose explained that the empty section was where the Death school once stood, but he did not go into detail. They continued forward to a large stone tunnel and entered the Commons. There was a large pond, filled by a waterfall that flowed under a tiny bridge. A statue of two wizards was placed within the water.

There were many miniature sized buildings along the cobblestone streets. The banners and flags were brightly colored with moons and stars. A small tree and a bush grew beside the pond. A massive castle stood in front of them. Ambrose explained that it was his castle. All of the buildings were made of stone with colorful tiled roofing. Behind the pond there was a wheeled cart with patterned robes hanging on it, and another bridge that lead to another tunnel and a section of houses.

Behind the castle was a fairground. A carousel spun around and around with models of a unicorn, a dragon, a lion, a shark, a flaming cat, a flaming dog, and a bat.

Around it were many small blue and orange tents decorated with stars. There were many tunnels leading to other areas of the magical world. Wizards in robes rode around on magical creatures such as gryphons and dragons. It was so overwhelming. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"Welcome to Wizard City, Claire."

Within the next hour, Headmaster Ambrose had given her a tour of the campus. She didn't quite understand the dueling and magic yet, and she hadn't met the professors either. They strolled past the Fairegrounds slowly. Claire looked up at the tunnel. It read Golem Court above it.

In the center of the court was a tall tower. A wooden sign above it read Golem Tower. The cobblestone walkway headed all the way around the narrow building and back to where she stood. Near the far right was a gate leading into a cave. A wide but low wooden door was tucked away on the left wall, somewhat enclosed between the brush. As she observed the surroundings she heard an owl hoot. She was startled as the mysterious bird swooped low over her head and landed peacefully on Headmaster Ambrose's shoulder.

"Whoo?" the owl cooed.

"Gamma, this young lady is Claire SpiritBreeze. She is the newest Life student at Ravenwood." Headmaster Ambrose looked Gamma in the eye, a look which the familiar seemed to understand. There was an unspoken conversation happening between the two, and it only made her feel tense. Her hair blew in the breeze, and the air became immensely cooler. Although he himself said that there was no danger in their world, something made her feel uneasy.

The owl rotated its neck and flew over to Claire. Gamma flapped his wings gleefully as he buzzed around her.

"Hellooo! Name is Gamma the Owl, and I am quite pleased to meet yooou! Wizards test their skills by summoning fantastic creatures and dueling. To become a master wizard, you must learn every spell in your class. Wizards love to duel! The more spells you learn, the better duelist you will become."

Claire had hardy listened to the talking bird's into, partly because she was taken aback by the fact that an owl could speak, but mostly because she felt an oncoming malevolence that she had never felt before. She could feel the air shift, and soon Gamma's hooting was cut off by a large crack of thunder. The bright blue sky suddenly turned a deadly black and suddenly, Claire could no longer see a thing.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I am so nervous posting this right now. I would like to quickly thank everyone who has followed and supported me on writing this. I know that the beginning isn't perfect, and my writing could use improvement, but this chapter is entirely different from what it first was, and so much better than it had been before. Thank you to all of my Wizard101 friends and the "wizzy fandom" that have encouraged me in writing this. For the past three years I have been putting this story together, the novelization of this game. So many people have underestimated the work I've put into this and how much it's consumed my life. It seems like a silly, Harry Potter wannabe game for children, but I wrote this story to give it deeper meaning, and for people to understand that. I am constantly putting together soundtracks for each book, as if one day it would be made into a movie. I wrote to KingsIsle multiple times offering this story to them. It has been my goal and dream for years to have them publish these stories as actual books. Unfortunately, they turned me down. I was crushed. But my friends and followers were the ones that motivated me to publish them online and to keep writing. This is more than a game or a story to me. I feel like I have a connection with each of these characters. Everything in this story has some special secret meaning to me. It's up to the readers to be the critical, English teacher analyzers and discover everything I've hidden (there's a whole lot of hidden meaning in what I write.) **Share this story with your friends who play Wizard101. Share it with those who don't play Wizard101 or have never even heard of it at all.** This story is for everyone, to give fans of the game something to love and to attract outsiders to the game and fandom. This is only the first chapter posted, and we haven't even gotten into Wizard City yet. But by the end of this series, at the end of Khrysalis, I promise you will have a story you will never forget. Even if this does not appeal to you, please do not flame or hate. I have dedicated a large amount of my time and life into writing this. This is one of the most important thing's for me, and I want to share it with the world. Stay tuned for the next chapter. I won't let this fandom down.

xoxo.

**Disclaimer: Everything Wizard101 related belongs to KingsIsle Entertainment**

**Claimer: I do own all original characters that are not exclusive NPCs in the live game, and all thoughts are originally mine. **


	2. Chapter 2

The lights of the tower splayed outwards into the darkness. Through squinted eyes, the faint outline of the rumbling clouds could be seen against the black sky. Ambrose tensed beside Claire and muttered something to himself.

"We have to go now," he urged. His tone was filled with grave worry, and Claire's heartbeat quickened at the sight of her mentor's panic.

They moved swiftly toward the wooden door of the tower. Gamma fluttered behind them as they made their way up the dusty, spiraling staircases, dimly light by the magic that swirled around Ambrose's hand.

Finally, they came to the top, and he halted abruptly. "Stop."

Unlike before, there was no light in the room. The old man strained his eyes to see. "Who's there?" he called. There was no answer but the echo of his voice, accompanied only by the crashing of thunder beyond the tower walls. Only as his eyes adjusted did the expression on his face twist into an angry scowl. With a flick of his wrist, magical light erupted and wisped throughout the room, giving a vague illumination to their surroundings. The wisps fluttered and swirled in flurries of sparking yellow and red orbs. Through the wondrous display, Claire could make out her surroundings clearly.

The floor was wooden and the walls were stone brick, adorned with brightly colored stained glass windows and splintered shelving that housed all sorts of books and potions.

Claire could sense movement from the back of the room, and her eyes darted into the shadows. Suddenly a man appeared from out of the darkness. His presence was vile. She could feel the fear creeping up within her.

He had a pasty white face with sunken, black eyes that lacked any emotion. He had a short beard and dark hair braided at his shoulders. His robe was black and gold, buttoned all the way down to the floor, with a golden sash tied at the waist and the outlines of serpents running across his chest and down his arms. He wielded a long black staff with a golden dragon perched at the top over a round ruby ball, its tail wrapping down around the shaft. He looked regal and deadly. For a brief moment, her eyes met his, and never before had she felt such terror.

"Malistaire," Ambrose sneered. "You are no longer welcome here! Why have you returned?"

"I'm here to resolve our unfinished business." His voice was deep and sinister, and it boomed along with the thunder. "Is this your newest student? My henchmen will see to your little friend!"

Out from behind the man appeared two rusty colored dragons, hunched over in tattered ivy robes. Their long wings flapped with anticipation as they snarled in hunger. Their talons stretched outwards as they poised themselves for a fight.

A fiery spark lit inside of Claire. Something about the man angered her, and she was not about to be defeated on her first day.

"Here! Take this deck of cards, Claire," Ambrose spoke. A little wooden box was tossed her way and she automatically caught it within her hands. "Deal with those creatures while I tend to Malistaire!" And with that, she was in battle.

Claire was completely enthralled with the scene before her. A large, animated circle of magic appeared around her feet and spread outwards across the wooden floor of the tower. There were four smaller circles along her side, marked with a sun, an eye, a radiant star, and a moon. Directly across from those were another set of battle sigils, marked with a dagger, a golden key, a crimson ruby, and a spiral that glittered with stars. The dragons stood at the two placements before her, baring their fangs and growling maliciously.

Within seconds, every thought Claire had in her mind was erased. The images inside her head were crisply clear. There was a row of cards floating within her conscience. She grasped for one in her mind, and her hands were moving on their own. Golden light sprung from her fingertips and formed a triangle with an Egyptian eye at the center. A murky green troll in ripped brown garbs and pointed cuffs around his wrists rose from beneath the ground. His eyes flashed with yellow furry as he swung his wooden, spiked club. He aimed toward the first dragon and a rush of air was swept its way. The leathery creature turned to the side to evade the attack, but it was blasted.

In retaliation, the monster angrily waved his hands through the air. Claire could hear the sound of wind rushing, and a cold breeze passed through her hair. The blue symbol of a snowflake formed between her and the enemy and snow flurries stirred all around them. A beetle made of solid ice rose at the center of the battle sigil and blasted Claire with frosty icicles. A painful stinging sensation came over her, but she was able to bear it. The second dragon did the same, forming a sandy balance symbol around him. Out from some unknown realm, a scaled scorpion descended from a rift in the air. It came toward her with pinchers snapping and its magic suffocated her for only a moment. The pain from the attacks was strange to her, but they were nothing more than bruises.

Ambrose turned toward her and stared with worrisome eyes. "Oh my…you're hurt." He rushed over and yelled out to her, ignoring the strange man that glowered on the other side. Suddenly, the images of two glass orbs appeared in Claire's mind. One was filled with a bubbling rosy liquid, and the other indigo. "You'll need to pay attention to your current health," he informed. The read crystal ball shows your health status. If you run out of this in a duel, you will be defeated. The blue crystal ball shows your mana levels and how much you have left. Your mana is your magical energy. If you run out of mana, you will not be able to cast anymore spells. When you're out of mana, you'll be at the mercy…" He trailed off for a moment.

"Why so distracted?" he exclaimed, coming back from his thoughts. "We're under attack! Call me a fool… Oh my, I had all but forgotten!"

For the second round, Claire closed her eyes and summoned the spell named Fire Cat. She raised her hands and embers coursed from her palms, forming a flame symbol that warmed her skin and added a glow to her features. The cat, completely doused in flames, sprung forth and gave light to the darkened room. With each paw that landed on the ground, sparks flew from its claws. It pounced on the first enemy and lit the dragon ablaze. The spell went out with a flare of smoke as if it had been quenched with water and Claire then braced herself for another round of hits.

This time it was the first dragon that cast the Scorpion spell. It hit her the same as the last time and they moved on. The second enemy formed a dark black swirl in the shape of a skull. Claire could almost hear the souls of the dead whispering frantically around her. She inhaled sharply at the sight of death. Water poured in at her feet and a tropical islet with one lone palm tree rose from the depths. There was a pile of scattered bones across the sand and suddenly the spell came to life. The short skeleton rose, clad in black boots and denim shorts. It wore a leather buckled sash over its chest, an eye patch, and a red, polka dotted bandanna over its skull. It wielded a short, curved sword with a golden hilt and suddenly the pirate was advancing toward her. It slashed the blade in front of her twice, sending the Death magic her way. She shuddered as it hit her, particularly in pain from that one spell.

The man named Malistaire chuckled with triumph from beside the dragons. "You doddering fool!" he cried. "Your student is no match for my forces!"

"Oh no," the old wizard whispered hurriedly. "You're in trouble! Quickly, use the Unicorn spell and cast it on yourself. It will replenish your health.

She obeyed his orders and summoned the spell from within her mind. A light, spring green aura of magic formed around her. The symbol cast was a leaf with three points and a spiraled stem. A field of flowered opened up before her and there was suddenly a unicorn facing her. The filly had a gleaming white coat with a grey mane that rippled up and down in some kind of unidentified wind. She had pastel colored flowered braided into the strands and her horn elongated from her forehead with a radiant silver light. She took a stride toward her and bowed down onto one knee. Healing magic poured from her horn and raised Claire from her feet. She felt a warm, tingling sensation. She felt rejuvenated and alive. That only lasted a moment before her enemy attacked.

"Foolish creatures!" Malistaire bellowed. "You've let the young whelp heal! Defeat the whelp or else you'll suffer for it! Use your spells to weaken the young wizard's spells!"

Lightning cracked and thunder boomed, the sound of electricity piercing the air as purple sparking magic appeared around the dragon. A large cloud with a bolt descending from it appeared, and there was once again water at the center of the battle circle. The sharp fin of a shark bobbed up and down within the murky depths. Without warning, it was upon her and swallowing her up, but the next moment, it was gone. The other did not cast a spell. It passed its turn.

Three bright white orbs appeared around Claire's feet. "Here, young wizard, take some more pips. They power your spells. The more pips you have, the stronger the spells you can cast!"

Claire passed the round. Her mind became unclear and she could not focus long enough to cast. The first enemy did as well. She was not so lucky with the second. The balance symbol reappeared again and soon there was a circular shield around her head with brown spikes along the edges, a grey sword painted in the middle.

"Oh my…" Ambrose looked frustrated. "That spell will reduce the power of your own spell."

For the next round, Claire chose the spell called Nature's Wrath. It was of the same class as the Unicorn, but it was an attack. The floor was suddenly covered in crackling fallen leaves. A tree sprouted up from the ground with a painful creaking. It turned to face toward her enemies, but Claire did not miss the fact that it had arms, legs, and a face. A tree with a face. It was surrounded by large boulders, and it bent down to take one into its arms. It swung the rock at the dragon, but it was hardly effective. The charm that her enemy put on her was weakening.

"At last you fools earn your keep! Finish the child!"

"Cast this Balance Blade on yourself," Ambrose ordered. The spell looked just as the Weakness did only without the spikes. "It will increase your next spell's power!"

The dragon cast a Fire spell, and a massive flaming Phoenix rose from the ground, spewing fire all over Claire. The next spell was a Life spell, and the same leafy forest floor appeared. From out of thin air, a bay colored Centaur clad in silver battle armor upon his upper body appeared. Red plumes stuck up from his helmet. His large, furry hooves pounded against the ground. He reached behind him and pulled out an arrow. He lifted a wood and grass weaved bow from his side and knocked it, aiming it toward the wizard. He released it, and the next few moments were painful. The arrow traveled at a threateningly slow pace, as if the entire world had slowed down around them, and then sped up at the last moment. Leaves exploded all around Claire and shrouded her vision from the others. Once they had receded, it was her turn to cast.

She aimed the Balance Blade at herself and it circled her head just as the Weakness had done.

Another triangle symbol was formed, and a brown furred Minotaur wearing a royal blue sash bound by a silver and gold belt was summoned from a burst of golden energy. It wore massive spiked cuffs around its wrists and wielded a silver battle axe with intricate swirling designs at the center. It pointed at her and snorted as if to say, _"You're finished," _and raised its weapon. The magic came down and circled her for a moment before the impact. The next spell was the same class. Three piglets adorned completely in black, like ninjas, sprung into the air. They held short, golden aikuchi daggers in their hands and wore crimson bandannas around their foreheads. They balanced atop one another, the first one upside down in a handstand on the second's blade, and glared at their wizard enemy before striking. They flew into the air and cast their weapons down at her. She leapt out of the way just in time to partially avoid the hit.

"This one learns fast, Malistaire!" Ambrose growled. "Two can play at that game. Claire, use the Meteor Strike spell! It will strike both of the henchmen! Here are the pips to cast it with! With the Balance Blade spell you've already cast, the Meteor Strike spell should finish them off! Cast it now!"

Claire pulled the Fire spell into her hands and the entire room turned to molten lava. From glowing cobalt voids in the sky, raging red meteors rained down. The Balance Blade activated, and the meteor hit smothered the dragon, wiping his body from existence. The second cowered in fear as it came toward him next, and a moment later his body was lifeless. Claire had won.

"Excellent work, young wizard!" Ambrose praised, taking the girl by the shoulder. "Now let me see to Malistaire. I'll show him…threatening a new student before orientation, no less!"

Malistaire's jaw dropped as he gaped with disbelief. Suddenly, he regained his stoic composure and glared.

"Another time, old man. I have gotten what I have come for. And now I will leave this wretched place!" He flicked his wrist and fled within a burst of dark fireworks.

Headmaster Ambrose looked concerned. "He's gone! And none too soon. What sinister goal could have brought him here? What could he have wanted? Oh my, this is no good. Follow me to my office." Before the exited, he turned to her with surprise, taken aback. "Well, you look a bit worse for wear."

Claire looked down at herself and noticed her tattered black and green robes. They had somehow appeared on her when she entered into battle. She felt that her health was low and was suddenly overcome with dizziness. She said nothing. Ambrose restored her to full health and mana, and with the replenishment, her body and clothing was repaired as well.

"You will need a spellbook and a wand…" he spoke, pondering to himself. He waved his hand, and a short branch appeared. A twig plucked from a tree, almost. A thick burgundy leather book with golden iron edges and a spiral at the center also appeared, her name engraved at the bottom. "No young wizard should ever be without these," he said as he handed them over. "I should say I was quite impressed with your courage. There is little doubt but that a great destiny awaits you."

Claire swallowed hard and choked as she tried to speak. "Thank you," she muttered as loudly as possible, though her voice was barely audible.

The man chuckled lightly as he strode toward the door. Jokingly, he spoke. "Who knows? Maybe you will fill my shoes and replace me as headmaster someday." He winked playfully as he descended down the tower.

"Wait!" Claire called, rushing to catch up with him. She fell into step behind him as he lit up the darkness of the corridors. "I just got here and I've already had to fight some mysterious man's monsters and now you're already expecting me to succeed you?" She was completely bewildered.

"This is a hard business, my dear. I hope you will understand it all one day."

She hoped so, too, for at the time she did not understand what business there could possibly be.

They reached the outside where the light of day had returned. The old man's face was emotionless, and he spoke no words until they had reached his office. She followed the old wizard as he stepped through the bronze iron gates of his castle. They headed up to the door that sat at the top of a small set of stairs, surrounded by four tall stone columns. The doors of Wizard City were all crafted of dark wood with a round window at the center. Ambrose pushed it open and they made their way inside.

It was much smaller on the inside than it looked from afar. Red wallpaper adorned with golden crowns and thin blue stripes covered the walls. Short, evenly spaced stone columns rose up to the wooden rafters and black and white checkered tiles covered the floor. Rectangular blue rugs with red trim and golden suns sat before every doorway, and a massive red one lay at the center of the room. His office was overwhelmingly cluttered. His desk was stacked with towers of paperwork and ceiling high piles of books were set all over the room. Potted ferns, lecterns, and shelving filled the spaces between the columns, and to her right sat a bright crimson armchair behind a small coffee table, also stacked with books. Candles and ink wells sat atop the man's desk, along with a globe and a blue cloth decorated with moons and stars to mimic the night sky.

"Things here are not normally this hectic," he said grimly, sitting down in the plush red chair behind his desk. "But there is a problem on Unicorn Way that absolutely must be dealt with before we can have you enrolled. If you feel comfortable, could I ask you to take a look? You may be able to help. It will also let you see more of Wizard City."

Headmaster Ambrose shuffled his papers around, and pulled out a blank piece of parchment. He grabbed a feather pen, and began to write his letter. Once finished, he tucked it away into an envelope with an ornate wax seal.

"Please deliver this letter to Private Stillson at the Unicorn Way gate. He will let you through."

"Are you sure I'm the person you should be sending? I don't even know where Unicorn Way is."

"When you leave, head down the road to the left and cross over the bridge. It's right there. You can't miss it, darling. I will see to your enrollment while you're out."

With reluctance, Claire turned to face the door. She eyed the old wizard over her shoulder as she left and shut the door behind her.

Outside, Claire turned to the left as he said and followed the street that took her across the water. The waterfall was close to the gates of Unicorn Way, trickling with subtlety beneath Rainbow Bridge, as people called it. The water gushed downwards and flowed into the Commons pond. Claire approached Private Stillson. He was a short, fat man wearing blue robes with red gloves and shoes. He wielded a pointed spear and the emblem of Ravenwood was branded across his chest. He looked nowhere but forward as he spoke and his eyes were full of sternness, and Claire couldn't help but draw attention to his blonde moustache.

"None shall pass! Unicorn Way is off-limits! There are ghosts everywhere!" She handed the letter out to him and he glanced down at it, eyeing the wax seal. He warily opened it and scanned the parchment. Glancing at Claire as she looked up at him, he observed her with blatant suspicion. "It looks legit, so I'll let you pass. Be cautious, young wizard."

Unicorn Way was so far the most beautiful place she had ever been, among other beautiful places she would surely go. The tunnel opened up to a grand courtyard surrounded by blooming spring trees and flowers of every color. The cobblestone was green and brown with golden swirls and painted leaves. Statues of rearing unicorns sat on pedestals on either side of the road. To the left was a small bazaar beneath tents of red, blue, and yellow. Crates and barrels were piled on platforms and few wizards stood around them to view the wares. Off to the right was a large stone wall and a wooden gate. The sign above it read _"Arena" _but there was no way for Claire to tell what was inside.

Up ahead was a smaller path leading to a park. She continued forward and came to yet another guard, though his robes were green instead of blue. He saluted her as she approached and leaned down to her level.

"Ah, is this a letter from the Headmaster?" he asked, reaching for the letter she carried. "You are very brave to bring this to me. I am Private Connelly. Be careful going farther down Unicorn Way. The street is dangerous. I've seen wizards like you go down that way and never come back. Beware! Some dark forces have risen, and we don't have enough guards to stop them. We would be grateful if you could use your powers to drive them away."

"That shouldn't be too hard," she agreed with hesitance. Claire took off down toward the park. Another unicorn statue posed in the center. She passed a wooden gazebo and headed for the golden stone bridge. Hedge bushes and plants of all kinds grew throughout the park. She traveled over the bridge to the left, fleeing the island of greenery, and headed down into the streets. Ghastly looking souls roamed around the road, moaning and wailing in low tones. She stood for a while looking out at them all. There were so many. Slowly, Claire extended her hand and summoned her wand. It would have looked like an ordinary branch if it didn't have the magical aura beaming around it.

She walked out into the street and confronted the first ghost. Taking a deep breath, she honed in on the spells and powers she had within her. They were not the same as the ones before and there were far fewer. She cast an Imp, and the tiny devilish green faerie fluttered forward and headed for the ghost. The enemy was surrounded by lethal magic and sunk down into the earth. As the battle sigil receded, she stared at the spot where the soul had vanished. She then wondered why it had been far easier to kill these than the monsters she had faced in the tower. Feeling her confidence grow slightly, she attacked the rest. The same happened for the other ghosts she was told to defeat, and by then she had completely rid the street of ghouls. She returned to the guard as soon as the task was completed, feeling elated.

"That has sure turned the tide for us!" Private Connelly praised. "We'll follow your lead, and get back to work. If only we knew what was causing the spread of the Undead. You should go and talk with Ceren NightChant and see if he is any use. He is over there under the trees."

Claire walked over to the shaded gazebo where Ceren stood. He looked like a Life wizard, and only a couple of years older than her. His robes were green and embroidered with patterns such as leaves and vines. Claire couldn't see his hair, which was veiled by his hood.

"Greetings!" he called to her. "Professor Moolinda Wu sent me out here to see if the rumors about the faeries are true. The guards haven't allowed me to go any farther, but they haven't stopped me yet. You think you could come with me and check?"

"Oh, sure. No problem."

Claire trailed behind Ceren as they headed farther into the empty street. Every inch of road was surrounded by stone houses with green roofs. Bushels sprouted everywhere, and looking up, Claire could see the rocky brown cliff side that bordered the higher points of Wizard City.

They took a right at the intersection and headed on. Farther down Claire noticed a problem. There were black and purple Dark Fairies and Skeletal Pirates everywhere. Ceren made sure to duck behind the bushes and keep hidden.

"Unicorn Way is swarming with evil fairies? They have been corrupted, just as I feared!"

"What do you mean by corrupted?" Claire asked with worry. He ignored her completely.

"I doubt we could even change them back by defeating them. That's really bad! Apparently, evil forces are at work here in Wizard City. Some dark element had emerged despite Ambrose's attempts to keep us safe. My friends always tell me I never leave well enough alone. But this time something foul is afoot, I'm sure of it! You can help me get to the bottom of this curse upon Wizard City! Lady Oriel, the Seraph, might understand what happened to the fairies. Let's get to the Hedge Maze. We can find her there."

They emerged from there spot behind the bush and darted for the side of the road. They ducked in and out of doorways and made their way to the end of the street. They headed of the doorstep of the small garden palace and into the Hedge Maze. Golden fairies zipped around inside the maze, which was literally made of hedges. A graceful Seraph loomed in the center of the pavilion. Her hair was curly and as golden as the sun and a silky white dress cascaded down around her legs and fluttered with the breeze.

"Lady Oriel," Ceren called as he approached.

"Oh, praise the light!" she cried. Her voice was thick with worry and fear. "Someone has come at last! Something has been corrupting my fairies. Since you have come in my hour of need, use these in future battles."

A ball of green light appeared at her fingertips, and she waved her hand through the air. A pair of sparkling green cards lay at their feet. The card was Fairy, a health spell.

"Thank you," the wizards muttered in unison, retrieving them from the ground.

"Thank you for coming at this dark time. If you two are as brave as you look, I know you will help save my fairies. If you collect the dust they drop, I will be able to tell more about their corruption. It is a dark task, but it must be done."

"Anything, if it is for the fairies," Ceren agreed.

The two Life wizards headed back onto the streets and into the swarm of fairies. Claire managed to cast a Thunder Snake and kill off the first fairy. In the next fight, Ceren cast an Imp. Finally, Claire cast a Fire Cat and destroyed the third fairy. After a brief moment of fighting, Ceren took the silk pouch and filled it with the blackened fairy dust. They then quickly headed into Lady Oriel's chamber and gave her the fairy dust.

"You have returned. Now I can investigate the reason for their corruption."

A few moments passed and Lady Oriel froze. She looked visibly shaken and turned to the wizards.

"They have been enchanted by something that is Undead! This does not bode well. How has evil become so brazen in this place? These are dark times indeed. I have heard that someone has hung Bone Cages along the street. I fear these are being used to trap my fairies and corrupt them. You must free them from those horrible Bone Cages before they become corrupted."

"Let's go!" Ceren urged.

They reached the outside of the street and hunted down the Bone Cages.

"Over there!" the boy cried, pointing to a cage held up by obsidian iron and closed in with monster bones. Claire rushed to the cage and cracked the lock with the end of her wand. The fairy zipped out at the speed of light and vanished. They scoured the entire street for the Bone Cages, Ceren destroying every one in sight with his staff.

"We did it!" he cheered, followed by an enthusiastic fist pump. They returned happily to the Hedge Maze, when they heard tinkling from the fairies. Claire caught her name softly spoken through the commotion. A fairy fluttered into the path of the wizards.

"Thank you for helping out the fairies. They did not mean to be evil, but the corruption made them do bad things. Now there is hope again, and the fairies will be able to bring magic and cheer to the people of Wizard City once more!" She zipped away gleefully and Lady Oriel glided to where they stood.

"Thank you, wizards!" she exclaimed. "The freed fairies have already told of your heroism. Your deeds will be remembered here on Unicorn Way. Now, we must find out who is behind the corruption. My fairies whispered of a monster whose bones made a clacking sound as it came for them."

Ceren's eyes grew wide at the information. "I had expected Lady Blackhope, but even she has never tried to enchant fairies before. But if it is a skeleton, it must be Rattlebones! He has taken over my old friend Delia's tower. I know a lot since I grew up here. We have to stop him from making any more cages."

Ceren took off without even waiting for Claire. He was too caught up in his own moment of heroicness.

"Hey!" she called in protest. She ran out of the Maze, and sprinted to catch up with him. They sprinted with urgency around the corner and down the street, turning to the left and arriving at the end of a shorter one. Before them was a stone tower tinged with green moss. Vines grew up the walls and huge ferns surrounded the door. They ran inside, and Rattlebones stood waiting. He looked like the other Skeletal Pirates, but his cap was black and his sword has silver iron instead of gold.

"You cannot stop us, wizards. The corruption of the Fairies is just the beginning of Malistaire's plans. Soon, Wizard City will fall and there isn't anything anyone can do about it!" He cackled with madness and insanity as he drew his weapon, and the duel begun.

Claire and Ceren stepped into the battle circle, wands drawn. Rattlebones cast a spiked black shield with a painted white skull across the front on Claire before she attacked with Fire Cat.

"Watch out, that boosts his attack!" Ceren warned. "That's a Death Trap! Traps increase your enemies attack by at least thirty percent!" Ceren finished off the Dark Fairy minion that resided next to Rattlebones with an Imp. Claire attacked the leader with a Thunder Snake, and she still wasn't dead. Ceren backed her up with a Frost Beetle, killing her and leaving them with victory.

"We did it! Now the fairies will sing again! We bested that wretched Rattlebones! I wish that was the end of our troubles in Wizard City, but I'm afraid a more sinister evil is out there. Thanks to us, Unicorn Way is in less danger than it was, but we are still not out of the dark woods yet. I think we need to report this to Headmaster Ambrose. The news on Rattlebones may help him determine what doom has come to Wizard City. Make sure you tell him I helped, too!" Claire giggled.

"I won't, Ceren. Thanks a lot."

As Claire began to leave, she noticed a frail old woman approaching her. She walked closer toward her.

"Hello!" she waved kindly. She spoke quietly as she came nearer. "Hello, sweetheart, I'm Olivia Dawnwillow. The other day while I was walking down Unicorn Way, I noticed a tall man leaving the area. As he hurried down the street, he dropped this book. I yelled at him to stop, but he did not seem to hear me. It is strange. It looks sinister, and I am not able to open it. Do you recognize the book at all?"

Claire reached out for the black leather book. Suddenly she felt weak and faint. The old woman steadied her with her hand. "Are you feeling alright sweetie?"

"I'm fine, ma'am. And, no, I don't know who the book belongs to."

"Well, could you take it to the library in the Commons? A young man named Boris Tallstaff knows who owns it. He might also know how to open it, and he knows much about enchanted books." Claire carefully handled the book and tucked it in her pack.

"Of course, ma'am," she said in a daze, blinking away her faintness.

Claire exited Unicorn way and took the street to the left, heading up the steps and between the stone columns that lead to the library door. Inside, tall bookshelves covered every inch of the walls. In between the bookcases were narrow, sectioned off corridors illuminated by blue magic and lined with bookshelves as well. She peered down one of them that seemed to go on forever into the darkness. The librarian, whose nametag read Harold Argleston, was occupied checking borrowed books at the center desk. Books zipped through the air, on and off of bookshelves and in and out of corridors.

Paintings of historical figures and school banners were hung all across the lower and upper walls. Surrounding the front desk were four fountains with water falling from high in the ceiling. A Storm student was sprawled out on the floor, sorting books. His robes were yellow with royal purple lightning bolts and Storm emblems sewn across his chest and along the rim of his hat. He looked stressed, and his expression only looked more annoyed as he looked up at Claire.

"Um…" "Hey, there." he sighed, sounding irritated.

"What do you need?" "Boris…right?" He rolled his eyes at her response.

"Yes, I am Boris."

Claire was hesitant. "Um, Olivia DawnWillow found this book on Unicorn Way. She wanted me to bring it to you."

The upperclassman scowled as she handed it to him. He examined every inch and detail of the thing.

"She found it on Unicorn Way, did she? I know this is not one of our books, for we don't have any with this kind of dark leather binding. And it's got charms and scribbles all over it that I've never seen in my life…"

For a while the boy pried at the book until he finally gave up on opening it. It was sealed tight and there was no way he could open it.

"It must be enchanted." he grumbled. "I can't pry it open no matter how hard I try!" Looking up at the girl he sighed again. "Someone used some serious magic to seal this thing. They must not want anyone reading what's in it." He swiftly uttered a few words beneath his breath, ones Claire could not make out, but nothing happened to the book. He looked frustrated and worried at the same time.

"Wow, this magic is strong! Take it to Headmaster Ambrose. He should be able to open it. It must contain some dark secrets to be sealed with such powerful stuff!"

"What were you saying?"

He sighed a third time. "I took a class on enchantments last year. They teach you about verbal spells and curses and stuff."

"Oh," she muttered to herself softly. Without another word, she turned around and left.

Claire headed back to the Headmaster's office. His eyes lit up and the old wizard smiled proudly upon her return.

"Congratulations, Miss SpiritBreeze. I noticed you have found a solution to the fairy corruption, but Wizard City is not out of peril. All is at risk!"

"Rattlebones said that the fairy corruption was only the beginning of Malistaire's plans, and Olivia Dawnwillow found this…" She handed the book to Ambrose. The old wizard looked concerned again. He studied the book and furrowed his brows.

"So, Malistaire has designs on bringing Wizard City to its knees? This does not bode well. We will still be on guard lest his evil plans succeed. As for the book…" He raised his staff, and created a force field around the dark book. The book levitated and he began to chant his words of power. The object suddenly burst into flames and was consumed, its dying gasps echoing against the walls of the magical barrier.

"By Bartleby, I'm glad I used a protection spell on it. That book had a trap spell set on it, and I think they knew that it would eventually be brought to me. This book must be the works of Malistaire. Be on guard, there will be more dangers ahead. I want you to introduce yourself to Diego the Duelmaster. He manages the Arena, and teaches wizards to fight. It is just inside Unicorn Way, but you have probably already seen it."

"I have, but I'll go talk with him. Is he going to teach me how to duel?"

Ambrose smiled. "What do you think?

* * *

Claire strolled back to Unicorn Way and headed inside the Arena. There was a small waiting room and a sectioned off hall in front of the main arena. Pedestals stood on either side of the narrow gathering hall led to the stands. Claire looked down to the lower level of the arena and observed the action. A steel grey unicorn with a lance and a long overcoat hacked at a training dummy off to the side on the grass, just outside the dueling circle.

"You see, the first rule of combat is to never let your opponent distract you? You remember the moves I showed you?" Another student nodded his head. "Good, then practice those skills, just as I. I have business to attend to."

Diego the Duelmaster came back up the ramp and unhooked the rope. Claire approached the stallion.

"Are you my newest student, wizard?" He stared down at her. Claire shyly nodded her head, and he lifted he chin with his lance.

"Be bold, my child! Speak up! Do not hesitate to make yourself known." Claire gulped, glancing down at the blade beneath her. "Now, my name is Diego Santiago Quariquez Ramirez the Third, Champion Duelist!" He bowed with a great flourish of his red cape. "The Arena is a wondrous place! Students come here to hone their skills with magic, practice against others, and gain endless glory and fame! We hold tournaments every Friday after the evening gathering. Aha, maybe you could even become such a good duelist to fight the great Malistaire!"

"Oh, how I hope you're joking cause I could never-"

"What a duelist he was! He's the only person I would not want to duel in a real fight. Luckily, we only sparred for practice. Oh, speaking of Malistaire, did you know that he and Cyrus are twin brothers? Good grief! I wouldn't be surprised if Cyrus was helping Malistaire with all this mess in Wizard City. You should tell Ambrose to keep an eye on Cyrus. Now, this will take but a few minutes. Come, I will show you the ways of dueling."

Claire headed down the ramp, trailing behind the stallion.

"I'm not familiar with who Cyrus is. I still haven't met any of the professors."

The stallion whinnied playfully. "Oh but you will, after this, I assume."

Just as they reached the bottom, Diego displayed a battle circle, and a Clockwork Golem appeared in the center.

"Welcome to the Dueling Arena! Approach the puppet, and we shall begin!"

Claire drew her wand and stepped into the circle. The battle did not really start, though, for the battle instructor was talking away.

"Let us begin by explaining Power Points, or Pips for short. Pips are magical energy. Gaining Pips allows you to cast more powerful spells. Every round you will receive another Pip. Those are the orbs glowing around your feet." Claire gazed downwards and saw them, remembering the ones Ambrose had given her during her fight with Malistaire.

"Nearly every spell card has a Pip cost. You can find it the upper left hand corner when you go through your deck. You can only cast a spell if you have enough Pips to do so. Let us start with one spell with a Pip Cost of two. You only have one Pip, so you must pass. You can also cast Zero Rank spells to gain Pips. Now you can cast the Troll spell. Here is another card: Tough. This is an Enchantment Card. These can be used to improve other spells in your hand. Combine the two, and the spell can do more damage."

Claire was confused as to what he was talking about until she focused in on her spells. There was a troll, which she had used before, and a card with the symbol of a fist on it. She waved her hand across and the two spell cards combined. The troll card was now golden and radiating light.

"Now it is a Treasure Card. Unused Treasure Cards go back in your deck at the end of the duel, even if it fizzles."

Claire cast the troll at the puppet, causing it to take severe damage.

"Now you are back to one Pip, yes?" He cast Claire another hand, and she gained a group of new spells. "Now you cannot cast any of these, and will have to pass for two rounds. But wait, there is another way! Let me show you. I've given you a Power Pip, see?" The strange pip at her feet was larger than the others glowed with a golden light.

"At the beginning of each round, you have the chance to gain a Power Pip instead of a normal Pip. Power Pips count double, but only for spells in your class. You now have one Pip, and one Power Pip. Now you can cast any second rank spell you wish. Or, you can use a third rank spell in your school of focus. The card for your school is now available. Cast it at the puppet."

Claire cast the powered up Leprechaun at the golem. Grass splayed out around her feet and fluorescent rainbow stretched out toward the opponent. A red haired Leprechaun in a black suit and hat slid along it, a small pot of gold wrapped in its arms. He launched the gold at the enemy and the damage was done.

"Great! Now let us look at another type of spell card. A ward can be used to protect you against future attacks. This is a Fire ward." The reddish-orange shield with the Fire symbol circled her legs. "When you cast it on someone, it will hang in front of them, waiting to be activated. The next incoming Fire spell will trigger it. See how it hangs near your feet and protects you?" The Fire Shield on her shattered as the golem attack using Fire Cat. Half of the damage was deflected.

"Let's try one more hanging spell. This is called Ice Blade." Claire cast it on herself, and it hung around her head. It looked like the Balance Blade she had used before, except this shield was icy blue. "Charms are the opposite of wards. Wards affect spells that other people cast on you. Charms affect spells that you cast on other people." Claire cast a Frost Beetle at the golem, and the charm strengthened the spell.

"Do you see? Your Ice Beetle triggered the Charm and is more powerful. This is one more type of Hanging Affect: the Aura spells. Aura spells affect the target over multiple rounds of combat. We like to call them _"Dot Spells,"_ you see. Damage over time. The Fire Elf spell will take 240 points of Fire damage, spread over three rounds."

Claire cast the Fire Elf, and he began to burn. "Watch what happens next round." Claire passed, and the golem kept burning. She passed one more time, and the golem was defeated.

"Excellent! You have defeated him and completed your lesson. I hope you found this most helpful. Good luck, my friend, and see you soon."

* * *

Claire returned to her headmaster's office and told Ambrose everything about her lesson, including Diego's beliefs on Cyrus Drake. She hadn't met the man yet, but she was fearful of the fact that he was simply related to the one she faced on her first day.

Ambrose stroked his beard and pondered for a moment. "He thinks that Cyrus is helping Malistaire with all this trouble in Wizard City, eh? Oh, Diego shouldn't be spreading foolish rumors. Cyrus is a good professor. I trust him completely."

"Huh?" Claire was dumbstruck.

"I'm sure you heard that Malistaire Drake used to teach at the Death school. He was once one of our best professors…very powerful and compassionate. He loved discovering secrets of power. The only thing he loved more than power was his wife, Sylvia, may she rest in peace." Headmaster Ambrose looked grim. "If only she were still with us, things might be different. But even death cannot be undone…" He looked sad and cold. "Dark times call for exceptional people. Could you do another favor for me? You have demonstrated that you are capable and unafraid."

"I'm not sure about unafraid."

"Sergeant Muldoon in Olde Town needs help. You can go through the Shopping District and show him this letter, or else he won't let you pass. Actually, while you're at it, I think you should talk with Duncan GrimWater. You'll know where to find him when the time is right. We need to know if Malistaire has been contacting former students."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I promised everyone I would update the story last week but I didn't have time to get around to editing. I think my writing here has improved as I've been trying to focus on description of locations and making the story easy to visualize. I also think I've realized why this story can be so confusing to read: this game can go very fast. When questing, you jump from one place to another, often times talking between two different people and there isn't a lot that happens in between. In Wizard101 you're kind of sent off to do everyone's chores and dirty work and thinks end up going by so quickly. I've tried my hardest to slow down the pacing, but even the scene with Diego gets a bit weird. Aside from that, I'm happier with this chapter. Big thanks to user **BuBuWinter **for giving me writing tips and pointing out some areas that needed critiquing. I hope it's slightly more bearable (lol).

Also, check out the playlist I've made for this story. You can find it on 8tracks - user crxstalizing or under the Wizard101 tag, but it's called Destroyer and conveys the tone of the entire series past Celestia. Hope you enjoy the mix and this chapter. Thanks for reading wizzy fandom.


	3. Chapter 3

Claire idly headed toward the Shopping District with the letter Ambrose had given her in hand. It was directly to the right outside of his castle, so it was not difficult to locate. She walked along through the torch lit tunnel and came out into a shady grouping of stone houses, concealed from the sun by massive oak trees with branches that swayed subtly in the breeze. She looked ahead and saw a large courtyard of shops off to the left with a lively fountain at the center. Every doorway was accompanied by a painted sign hanging down above a colored awning with a symbol of what each shop sold. She headed down the right road and observed the wizards around her. Many whizzed by on broom sticks with particles of magic trailing in their wake. Others head in and out of shops with armfuls of brightly colored robes and fistfuls of jeweled amulets. She continued on toward the tunnel that read _"Olde Town" _above it and she headed through.

It was quite crowded once she reached the other side. The tunnel opened up onto a vast road where the only trees lined the cliff side and the sky was bright and cloudless. Massive steps lead down to a level where all the wizards crashed through each other. At the edge of the little cliff was a brick building with a red and yellow banner outside that read _"Bazaar". _Next to it was a small, grassy clearing blocked from the public by purple satin roping. Behind the barriers stood a display of magical mounts. Mother mares and their foals were grouped at the back behind red and blue dragons that snorted smoke and stretched their wings. Broom sticks were leaned against the left side of the building, and a man with a bright red beard adorned in leather hiking gear stood to the side.

Claire noticed a house concealed beneath the cliffs and the trees, and a frail, grey haired woman rested in the shade of her doorstep. Below that level was another set of steps that reached outwards for a mile before it reached the next tunnel. From that distance, Claire could not read the signs above them, but she could see two guards standing at the edge of the cliff to the side. The ground veered off to the left at a slant where another house stood. More people gathered around it, leaning over the bridge where a stream gently trickled through. To the right of the house was a tall tower with a pointed purple roof. From there the road headed outwards to a second tunnel, and to the left there was yet another incline. The last and lowest level held a series of towers and was so long that the third tunnel could not been seen from where Claire stood. She gazed over the peaks of the cliffs and noticed guard towers with red flags sitting atop their roofs, rippling in the wind.

To her, it seemed like Wizard City continued on forever. She could feel the breeze brush past her skin and it lulled her into a blissful daze. She glanced upward at the trees before her, their branches swaying playfully in the wind. She was entranced by the serenity of the place called Ravenwood and she suddenly realized that none of what Ambrose said was a lie. There was infinite magic all around her. It was a power that no scientific theory could explain and nothing to be hidden. Magic was as real as the flowers that bloomed in the spring or the snow that fell to the earth in the winter. She breathed it in the air and exhaled it through her fingertips and it was a power that she had the ability to wield. Magic was real, and that was a thought that frightened her so.

"Why, hello there little lady."

The deep voice startled Claire as she came to her senses. She flinched and turned sideways, facing its source.

The voice came from a tall, tan skinned man with piercing yellow eyes and a shiny black beard. He wore the guardian armor of Wizard City, but the metal helmet, gloves, boots, and banner were solid gold above his dusty brown uniform.

"Hello," Claire replied reluctantly. Handing the man the letter from Headmaster Ambrose she asked, "Are you Sergeant Muldoon?"

He hummed and nodded his head stiffly. Ripping open the letter carelessly, he gazed over its contents with an expressionless face.

"This darkness has come upon Wizard City so quickly that we're overwhelmed dealing with it. I'm glad the Headmaster sent you. You're that student everyone is talking about, aren't you?"

Claire took a step back with widened eyes, for she had not realized any of this. "What do you mean everyone is talking about me?"

The look on the sergeant's face twisted with guilt at her reaction and he quickly tried to cover the words that slipped out.

"Just the authorities here, for they see a promise in you…" He began blushing at his mistake. "You did a good job spooking the spooks on Unicorn Way, but evil is on the move. Push down in one place, something pops up in another. Now it's Olde Town's turn. If we lose control of Olde Town to the Undead, all of the other streets will be isolated and will fall. Here's what we need you to do. Defeat Lady Blackhope and lock her in her tower on Unicorn Way. Do that and you shall pass."

"Are these "Undead" that big of a threat to Wizard City?"

"They really are, and since I've been told you've been put to the task of handling the Undead, I'd like to see what you can do."

Nodding slowly, Claire accepted the quest and headed off to Unicorn way once again. This time, she did not see Ceren around.

Lady Blackhope's tower was the first one to the right. She headed through the door and felt a ghostly chill in the air. The place was decorated the same as the one she had fought Rattlebones in. A pale white specter appeared suddenly and glared at Claire evilly.

"Mere mortals should not dabble in the affairs of the Undead. Perish now, Wizard!" She drew Claire towards her and sucked her into the battle.

Claire started the round, and she attacked the Skeletal Pirate minion with a Scarab, though it did not kill him. Both passed and she killed the minion next round with an Imp. Lady Blackhope tried to cast a spell, but she fizzled. Claire passed and the ghoul attacked with Dark Fairy. Claire cast a Leprechaun on the transparent figure, and finished her off with a Blood Bat in the final round. It was an easy fight, and triumphantly she returned to Sergeant Muldoon in Olde Town, victory in her hands.

"So, you beat the ghost, did you? Very impressive! None of the guards were brave enough to face her. With Olde Town secure. Be careful, you understand? Something's going on…this place is not as safe as it seems. I hear fearful rumors about a big, nasty Wraith named Lord Nightshade roaming around. My guess is that he's responsible for much of the trouble Wizard City now faces. Susie Gryphonbane is down on Triton Avenue asking for help. She says her brother is lost or something. Can you help her out?"

"Oh…sure," Claire agreed with hesitation. She peered down onto the street below her and saw the tunnel leading to Triton Avenue. The peaks of the towers were constructed o royal purple painted shingles. The flags perched atop them glistened in the sunlight as they swayed back and forth quietly. Heading down to the level below, wand in hand, she ascended through the damp, humid tunnel.

The street was almost identical in design to Unicorn way, with stone buildings lining the streets behind sidewalks and fences that were engraved with yellow patterns of lightning bolts. Willow trees grew between the street's intersections. The sky was storming and took on an iridescent indigo haze, clouds moving rapidly. The streets were filled with possessed, ghastly golems like the one she had fought with Diego. She turned down the street to her right and went carefully along the cobblestone path. She gazed about the statues of Tritons wielding tridents in their fins and the weathervanes that spun furiously above dimly lit windows.

Water trickled downhill through the basins alongside the walkway, pouring down into drains at the end of the street. Water cascaded out of small gryphon heads at the tops the houses, just below the roofs, and down onto the sidewalk. They splashed her clothing lightly with water and she wondered who ever came up with such a silly idea.

She came to a massive flight of stairs that stretched all the way across the road, leading down the cliff to a level further towards the bottom. Two stone houses with purple roofs identical to the others bordered the stairway on either side. Claire looked off to another small stairway that lead to a dirty, pebbled path that headed toward a small bridge. Willow trees surrounded it and across Claire could see multiple small waterfalls pouring downwards from the rocky cliffs to small streams that emptied out into the massive river below her. To the right, three large waterfalls cascaded down from dark, round holes in the side of the cliff. The water flowed around a circular, grassy inlet where two lone stone columns stood tall and continued on beneath the bridge. All of the water crashed together on the other side, flowing out between the cliffs to the left where Claire could no longer see.

The air was damp from the water that collided with the earth and sprayed up all around her. She stared in awe at the many waterfalls that flowed in unison down multiple levels of cliff side. The Triton Avenue all continued all along the edge of the rock where it met again with buildings and houses at the top on the other side. Claire could see more bridges and colorful awnings, and there the sky appeared to be even darker.

Suddenly, she felt a slight presence behind her and whipped around, coming face to face with a female wizard. Her robes were purple and yellow in a checkered pattern and swirls of Storm magic were imprinted on the pattern. She held a long staff in her hand with a magenta crystal ball perched at the top and lightning bolts springing outwards from it.

A despondent look flashed over her purple eyes and it was clear to Claire that she was highly upset. She shyly brushed her brunette hair away from her face and spoke.

"It's not every day that wizards are allowed to venture alone into places like Triton Avenue. Well, not like it used to be." Her voice was small but high pitched.

"You're name's Susie Gryphonbane, right?" the wizard of Life spoke.

"I am. And you are?"

"Claire SpiritBreeze. I was sent down here to help a wizard in trouble. If there aren't many wizards here I'm going to guess that it's you."

Susie breathed a heavy sigh of relief and immediately perked up, sounding rushed and worried. "My brother and I can use some help. We are trying to stop all the Undead that broke down the gate from the Haunted Cave and invaded the area. My brother, Artur, went on ahead to check out the Haunted Cave. He had a theory that the force beyond all this was in that cave. I'm worried because I've not heard from him in a while."

She sounded on the verge of tears. "Could you come with me to check on him? I have to admit, I'm afraid to go alone. If something has happened to him, I don't know what I would do alone. Or maybe he's identified the dark presence responsible for Wizard City's troubles."

With understanding, Claire nodded her head slowly and followed behind Susie, who took off eagerly.

They descended down the following incline and then headed over the bridge. The waterfalls sprayed outwards and dampened Claire's robes, but she found it slightly refreshing. They took a right and crossed over two more small bridges that arched over the streams. As they arrived at the end of the pebble path, they found themselves standing before an illuminated turquoise platform encased in gold and swirling with magic in a spiraling motion. As the light danced around the sigil, magic rose up and into the air, casting a soft glow to the faces of the girls.

"What is this thing?" Claire wondered aloud.

"It's a portal, come on." Susie grabbed Claire's hand and pulled her onto the portal. Claire suddenly felt as if she was going to black out for a moment, but in an instant they had climbed up higher into Triton Avenue. Taking a moment to regain her balance, she suddenly realized that they were at the top of the cliffs, gazing down at where they were standing before.

"It takes some getting used to, huh?" Susie asked her.

"Yeah," Claire replied in a daze, shaking off the nausea that had overcome her.

They headed up a short flight of steps and came to an old millhouse. The waterwheel spun around by the side of the house to the left and behind the tree before them was another portal, but it was not lit up. Two houses with purple and yellow awnings stood apart from each other, isolated along the back of the great stone wall. The two crossed over three more bridges that headed over the mill pond and came out onto the street. They ran down the sidewalk and took a sharp right, avoiding the zombies dressed in tattered black tuxedos with red bow ties. They moved slowly with void looks in their eyes, holding rusty shovels that seemed to be almost crumbling in their hands.

"Do you know what those are?" Susie asked breathlessly.

"No, what are they?"

"Those are Fodders. They're a type of Undead. Aren't they gross looking?"

Claire giggled softly. "Yeah, they really are."

The further they headed down the road, the more enemies they encountered. Swarms of ghastly women with tangled, matted hair floated through the air. Screams could be heard from off in the distance that sent shivers all through Claire's body.

"Are those Banshees?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, those are even more terrifying."

They turned to the left and ran briskly down the street. They came to the corner at the right and took a sharp turn, halting suddenly at the gate before them. The rocky cliff was covered in briars and dead bushes. The gate there had been ripped off, and the remains bore the symbol of Death.

Here is where my brother went in," The Storm girl said. She took a breath shakily and reluctantly stepped forward. "Let's check it out."

As they neared closer to the entrance, an eerie fog poured out of the gate. It was just the kind of place Claire hated. They coughed and gagged as they tried to ignore the smoke, but it was nearly impossible to make their way through. Susie's palm sparked with electricity as she attempted to illuminate their path, but it did not help much. They felt along the walls carefully until Claire found the edge of the tunnel. She felt her foot kick something away as they broke through to the other side. Looking down at her feet she could see splinters of wood. Just inside the Haunted Cave was a broken wand.

"Looking for someone, dears?"

The voice was shrill and horrifying. Susie stumbled backward and screamed. Looking up, Claire saw the owner of the raspy voice. Sanding on the path in front of them was a Scarecrow with the head of a rotted pumpkin, and right in his arms was a boy, mouth clamped shut.

"Come and get him," the monster taunted. He began to drag the boy backwards. His eyes were wide and his screams were muffled behind the hand of the monster. All too suddenly, the Storm boy and the Scarecrow vanished. Susie crumpled to her knees and stared off into the distance, her mouth gaping open. She hardly moved as she spoke, silent tears forming in her eyes.

"This is his wand. He was right about the Haunted Cave being the source of evil!" Climbing to her feet, she turned with uncertainty toward Claire. "We have to speak with Duncan Grimwater. He is a Death student studying the events here. He is trying to piece together what is going on. He's a little snobbish, but he might have a clue to where they could have taken my brother. We have to go, now."

* * *

Susie was practically dragging Claire by her arm. The Life wizard tripped every now and then, trying to keep up with the worrisome girl. They ran back to the area of Triton Avenue where they had been before, and found the Death boy by a tree near the main bridge. He leaned against the trunk with his eyes closed and his head back blissfully. He had dark, hazel skin and was adorned in black, white, and grey robes.

A black hood with the swirls of death magic was draped over his head, a thick white stripe reaching down the center. A silver belt was tied at his waist. The front of his robes were open and revealed a grey tunic. His shroud was trimmed with white and was completely black around the sides, with even larger spirals and swirls. A cape with the same pattern ran down his back and he wielded a staff with the ribcage and skull of a skeleton.

As they came near him, he cracked an eye open and smirked. Standing up, he strode cockily toward the oncoming girls, standing face to face with the Storm wizard. Claire backed away from the boy, wary of the staff

"Well, I guess Susie and Artur couldn't handle this situation. That's what happens when you send Storm students to do a Death student's job."

"Shut up, Duncan! This is serious. My brother is gone. A Field Guard took him."

"Ha! I think he is hiding back at Ravenwood. Everyone knows Artur is a coward! And so are you, Susie!"

"You don't know what I saw in that cave, you idiot! You never knew anything! All you do is sit around and make everyone else do the work because you think you're too good for it!"

Susie's face grew red as the boy began to laugh in her face. Claire could tell that they did not quite see eye to eye, and she stood back awkwardly as the two fought it out.

"I just wanted to see what you kids could do," Duncan said. "So I need to find out the fighting tactics of the Undead. That should be easy. Knowing how they fight may give me some insight on how we can defeat them. I'll take control of the Banshees, Susie can fight the Haunted Minions, and uh…" He turned to the Life wizard and looked at her quizzically.

"Claire," she said, introducing herself.

"Right. Claire can defend against the Rotting Fodders. We'll all meet up here when we're finished." He turned to Claire.

"Oh and by the way. The name's Duncan. Duncan DeathDust."

"Your name is Duncan Grimwater, Duncan."

"Yeah, but I hate it. So I had Ambrose change it. Gosh, you really do know nothing, Susie."

He marched off defiantly. Claire could hear the Storm girl grumbling at the plan and about Duncan in general, but she drew her sword and headed up the road to fight. Claire drew her own weapon and went to hunt down the Fodders. She willingly stepped onto the portal once again, even though she felt dizzy afterwards, and headed up to the mill. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out into the swarm of second rank enemies. She realized that her fights were progressively becoming harder and she wondered if there would ever be a time in which she couldn't kill something. She reassuringly told herself that she could always be healed and that even if she lost she would never truly die. She closed her eyes, breathed in, and summoned the battle circle with her mind. She exhaled as she stepped onto it, opening her eyes to face the Rotting Fodder.

Claire passed for the first round and cast Leprechaun in the next. She killed the zombie within seconds, and challenged the next monster. She had taken out quite a few before she came to one particularly stubborn opponent. It cast a Myth shield on itself and Claire attacked with Thunder Snake. The ugly Fodder resisted the attack and was hardly touched.

"So you're Storm, are you?" she observed as it cast Lightning Bats on her. It wasn't that surprising though considering Triton Avenue was a Storm dominated street. She looked at the spells available in her deck. _Should I use Fire Cat? No, Imp._

The Fodder fell to its knees and sunk into the ground as the creature floated around its head, playing his deadly song.

When the battle circle cleared out of the street, Claire hunched over for a moment, hands resting on her knees. It took some time for her to catch her breath. Fighting easily winded her for she was not yet accustomed to constant battle. Regaining her composure, the Life wizard scanned the streets in search for more minions, but none came into view.

"I guess that's it," she mumbled. She ran back to where Dylan stood on the other side, and soon Susie had returned. The Death wizard grinned smugly.

"Those Undead are not as tough as they seem, are they? So what did you guys learn?"

Susie shook her head. "Nothing unusual. They seemed pretty normal to me."

"When you say _"Undead" _it makes it sound like they should be fighting with Death magic," Claire spoke. "But they're fighting with Storm magic. At least, the Fodders were. It seems strange."

Susie and Dylan stared at her in shock. A look of confusion crossed over the boy's face as he gaped at the ground in bewilderment.

"They were using Storm magic?" Dylan repeated. "That doesn't make any sense! Where could they have learned that?"

"He's right," Susie agreed with displeasure. "You don't normally find the Undead using Storm magic. Someone must have put them up to this, but who and why?"

Dylan reached into his right pocket and pulled out a shiny medallion.

"I think it's a Storm Medallion. One of the Fodders dropped this when I killed him a while back. To investigate these, we'll need some Lumina Crystals. They store Storm magic and will be affected by the medallion. Blad Raveneye runs the Storm Mill up top. He might have some."

"Alright, let's go." Claire and Susie began to walk off, but they stopped when Dylan didn't follow.

"Are you coming?" Susie asked, annoyed. Dylan pretended not to hear her, and she rolled her eyes.

The two girls headed through the portal and arrived at the mill.

"Hellooo?" Susie called in a singsong tone. "Mr. Raveneye, we need your help! We need Lumina Crystals!"

A chuckle came from the open millhouse door. "Okay, Susie!"

A muscular, tanned man emerged from the doorway. He wore a loose red tunic and beige pants with tall leather boots. He had a thick, black beard and bright eyes that made Claire feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Why, I'd give you some, but my entire inventory was taken by the Undead. They scattered the barrels all over the place! I spent hours this morning just trying to collect them all, and I could use a hand."

"Well, we could help," Claire spoke up. The man laughed out loud, his hands resting on his belly as he shook.

"Don't worry, just get one for me."

Susie smiled and gave the older man a thumbs-up as they walked off. "We'll be quick!" Sure enough, they rushed down the street and hunted the barrels.

They came to a stop at the center of the road, squinting their eyes in search of a barrel.

"There's one!" shouted Susie. Claire looked further down the road and saw one of the crates that Blad was talking about. They jogged over, and Susie pushed against it to see if it would move. Unfortunately, it did not budge.

"This is going to be really heavy," she said to Claire. "Give me a hand."

They grabbed the sides of the barrel to stabilize it, and the Storm wizard counted back from three. Heaving greatly, they lifted the barrel into their arms. Only a moment lasted before Susie let go, causing Claire to drop it as well.

"No kidding," Susie said, gasping. "Alright, I have another idea."

Claire watched her quizzically as she pulled a small vial of blue liquid from her pocked.

"I'm not exactly supposed to have this," the girl admitted with a shy smile. "But it's a shrinking potion. A friend of mine taught me how to use it. It will shrink items that are too large or heavy to carry and then can return them to their original size once you're done. It's pretty handy but it's actually more advanced magic. I'm only rank thirteen. Don't tell Ambrose I have this, alright?"

Claire nodded softly as she watched the Storm wizard apply the potion to the barrel. It shrunk to the size of an apple and Susie waved it around in front of her face.

"It's so cool, isn't it?"

They headed back to Blad and the girl set it on the ground before him. She let a few more drops of the potion fall onto the barrel as she chanted a few words in a tongue that Claire could not understand. A moment passed and the crate returned to its original size and weight. Claire was awestruck.

Blad grabbed a crowbar and pried open the wood. As the top came off, the girls peered in to see a massive amount of diamond shaped rocks. The Lumina Crystals looked drained and lifeless, with no color or light to them.

"No way!" Blad moaned. "Those Undead found a way to drain the magic! Show this to Duncan, he will want to see." Susie huffed as she reached in to grab a handful of the drained crystals. "He's no help. Why do we need him?" She continued to mumble as she stormed off. Sighing, Claire followed in pursuit of the wizard.

The two went down to Duncan who had gone back to his spot beneath the large willow tree.

"The Undead," Susie spoke. "They've managed to drain all the magic from the Lumina Crystals." Her tone was unenthusiastic and sounded tired.

"That's no good, but fortunately…" Duncan pulled out a fully charged Lumina Crystal, beaming with electricity, and waved it around in front of the girls as he hopped to his feet. "I have one right here!" Susie's face became red with infuriation.

Duncan set the Lumina Crystal and the Storm Medallion in the grass. The three crouched a good distance away, and the Death wizard began his work. He waved his wand over the objects. Magical electricity arced from out of the medallion and an image appeared in the crystal. The vision showed an army of Undead, and the Scarecrow that captured Artur.

"That's the Scarecrow who stole my brother! Isn't it, Claire?" The Life wizard nodded as a witness, staring over to Duncan looked brilliantly at the image.

"Of course! The Undead on Triton Avenue are being lead by the Harvest Lord, and he is the one who captured your brother!"

"We have to kill him and save my brother," Susie exclaimed with urgency. "It might even stop the hauntings on this street!"

Duncan looked at her in mock surprise. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you sure that you're even skilled enough-"

"Duncan!"

"Um, just kidding." He anxiously scratched the back of his head. Claire swore she heard Susie growling.

"C'mon, Claire, we're going to get my brother back whether Dylan comes or not!

"Oh-ho, wait!"

The Death wizard marched after the two girls, and together they headed in search for the Harvest Lord.

* * *

The tower was constructed from a purple stone, engraved with lightning bolts. Water poured from the storm drains, just as it did on all of the other cottages along the street.

"Into the tower!" Duncan cheered, running ahead. Susie, once again, rolled her eyes as she watched the boy ram door open. They burst inside and were met face to face with the Harvest Lord and a Rotting Fodder. In the back of the chamber tied to the wall was Artur, Susie's brother.

"Artur!" the wizard cried. The boy's muffled screams were cut off by the cloth gagging him.

"So, wizards, you too have uncovered Malistaire's plan. Too bad you will have to remain here with the other wizard! You children will be powerless to stop us! Soon the Undead will drive out all the citizens and take over the rest of the city! And with the school in our hands, we will rule Wizard City! Ambrose will at last be crushed!" The Harvest Lord out a shrill, ear piercing laugh.

"Not a chance!" Duncan slashed his wand at the Harvest Lord, sending him stumbling backwards.

"You fools! You don't even stand a chance!" The girls drew their weapons next. Claire felt the magic wand forming between her fingers and watched as the battle unfolded before her.

Susie was the first to cast. She raised her wand and attacked the Scarecrow with a Storm Snake. Claire passed, and the Fodder attacked her with a Scarab. Duncan had too passed, and he returned the blow to Claire with a Ghoul attack. Susie looked to Claire and gave her a warning look.

"Claire, you're almost out of health. Heal!" She noticed she was, too but was more preoccupied in wondering how Susie could tell that she was going to die. That was when she realized that she could feel the stamina of her comrades in the energy around her. In her own mind she could picture the way her health was going and how much further she could go before defeat. With the others she could not see it, but she could feel it.

She decided to quickly heal herself with Fairy. The petite, flowery lady doused her in healing magic, and she felt rejuvenated and more alert. She attacked the Fodder with Leprechaun next. Susie used Storm Bats, and brought down the foul creature's health half way. Duncan supported with Dark Fairy, and Claire went for the kill with a final Leprechaun.

They took a moment to catch their breath as they watched the Harvest Lord's horrid form crumble and dissipate. Susie became aware of Artur, and she ran to free him from bondage.

"Artur!" She loosened his gag, and he began coughing. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thanks to you guys. Thank you so much! I was here so long I feared no one would ever find me."

"Phew!" Duncan sighed. "I'm sure glad everyone is okay."

Suddenly, a bright, sparkling light formed around Claire, rising upwards and disappearing and in flash. "What was that?" she asked with shock.

"It's what we like to call a "level-up". It means you've gained ranking," Susie explained. Claire was puzzled. That was another thing Ambrose had forgot to mention to her.

"So what rank am I?" she asked. Susie gazed into her eyes.

"Rank seven" she said. "How do I know? You can always tell by looking deeply into someone's eyes. Don't ask me how. You just know it when you see it."

Claire stared into Susie's eyes. "So you really are rank thirteen?" Susie nodded and smiled. Dylan pushed the Storm girl out of her way and faced Claire.

"I'm rank fifteen, and Artur is in the middle!"

Susie playfully rolled her eyes, but this time with a smile. "You did great, too, Claire!"

"Thanks. I guess I'll go tell Headmaster Ambrose what happened now. I'm sure he'd like to know about what's happening with the Undead here."

"You got it!"

* * *

The four returned to the house that Claire had found Susie in front of. She snapped her fingers and a set of keys appeared in her hands. She unlocked the doors, and allowed Artur inside. "Thanks again. I'm grateful you could help me out, even you Duncan."

"Always a pleasure, my lady." He then bowed awkwardly and Susie thumped him on the head. All laughing, Susie stepped half way into her house. "Well, I have projects to attend to. See ya!"

After saying goodbye, Claire watched as Duncan then walked off down the street. She could have stayed, but instead she quickly ran after him before she lost him.

"Dylan, wait!" He stopped suddenly and raised an eyebrow as he turned around

"Yeah?"

"I need to talk with you. Ambrose wanted me to. He is still worried about Malistaire." Duncan gave her an offended look and she stepped back as she tried to explain herself. "You're a Death student, right? That means you knew him. Ambrose just wants to know if Malistaire has been in contact with any of you guys, that's all."

Duncan crossed his arms as he shrugged and sighed slightly. "If you ask me, I think Ambrose needs to quit blaming Malistaire every time something goes wrong in Wizard City. Malistaire Drake was such an inspiring Professor. Most consider him to be the greatest Necromancer of our time! He understood life's limitations and strove to face them unafraid. Ambrose has suggested for me to stop practicing the Death arts. He even suggested giving Life a try. Ha! But I kept studying on my own! Maybe one day I will be as powerful as Malistaire!"

"That's actually a pretty scary thought, Duncan."

"I guess so. If you want to find out more about him, you should talk to an old friend of his wife. You have heard what happened to his wife, right?" Shaking her head in confusion, she listened to the older wizard as he spoke. "Well, then, go talk with Gloria Krendell in Olde Town, who lives by the Bazaar."

In a hurry, the Death student strode down the opposite street, leaving Claire alone at the intersection. With curiosity, she turned away from him and headed off for Olde Town, making her way through the tunnel again.

Claire headed off quickly to the small cottage in busy street. Gloria Krendell was sweeping her front porch and whistling as Claire approached. Her icy blue eyes glistened behind her glasses. She wore a white blouse and a long chocolate skirt behind a bright green apron. Her grey hair was tucked into a bun and her The broom swished from side to side in a graceful manner, moving along to the old lady's song.

She spun around as she danced, until she saw Claire. "Oh, hello, dear!" she cried, obviously startled out of her tranquility.

"Oh, um, I'm so sorry, if I scared you, ma'am."

"No, no, sweetie, that is quite alright! You wish to speak with me?"

"Yes, it's actually about Professor Drake, um, Malistaire."

The old lady set her broom aside and sat sadly in the white wooden rocking chair that sat beneath the large oak tree along the cliff side.

"Well, what knowledge do you seek?"

"Duncan Grimwater, or DeathDust, I'm not sure, told me I should talk with you about her. I kind of wanted to know…what happened to her."

The woman sighed and closed her eyes. "You want to ask me about Sylvia's passing? Oh yes, I knew her very well. She taught the Life Magic class before Moolinda Wu. I sure miss her. What happened to her was such a shame, poor dear."

Mrs. Krendell became forlorn as she relived the sad memories. "Sylvia had such a wonderful laugh. It was so sad when she got sick. She caught a nasty cold and wouldn't get better. They tried everything to heal her, but nothing worked. Imagine, the greatest Life Professor being struck down like that. She was dying and that was that. Poor Malistaire couldn't stand it. It broke his heart having to let her go. He was never the same afterwards. He withdrew from his colleagues…even from his brother Cyrus."

It was heartbreaking for Claire to know the reason behind Malistaire's evil intentions. She did not know a lot about the man, but he seemed to be a genuinely kind person from what she could tell. It seemed as if he had only taken a bad path.

She was silent for a moment longer before she finally spoke. "Thank you, Mrs. Krendell."

* * *

Claire decided to tell Headmaster Ambrose what she had learned. He seemed anxious when she entered, and ushered her over to the desk. He was busily shuffling through stacks of papers and rummaging through the desk drawers.

"I hear you defeated the Harvest Lord, did you? How do I know? Well, I'm the headmaster of this school, I know everything. Not many students can make that claim." His hurried tone made Claire giggle nervously.

"The Harvest Lord mentioned he was helping Malistaire, sir. He was talking about _"Malistaire's plans"._ What does that mean?"

"We need to find out what exactly his plans are if Wizard City is ever going to return to the nice place it once was. It's hard to run a school with all the monsters running amuck! But, many thanks to you for straightening everything out on Triton Avenue."

A shimmering light floated around Claire's head, and a spell card floated down before her. Into her hands floated the thin card. It read _"Legend Shield" _across it and displayed the image of a Death and Myth shield.

"It is from your Professor." Ambrose explained. "She said that it would be useful to you in your studies." He abruptly paused what he was doing, reached behind him, and grabbed a vial that he handed to Claire. It had a bubbling blue elixir inside.

"Here, I brewed up this potion especially for Bartleby, the tree in the center of Ravenwood. He hasn't been feeling well lately since his eye was stolen."

"His eye was stolen?" Claire couldn't imagine how the eye of a tree could be stolen, but she agreed to listen to the old wizard.

"Yes, take this to him and see what happens. Take note of anything he says."

Sure enough, he really was missing an eye. It was his right one, where a large void, crater sat in place of the blue eye that was supposed to be.

"Where should I put this?" Claire asked as she popped the cork off of the vial.

"Just pour it into my roots. That should do the trick."

She bent down let the elixir trickled downward over his mossy, beard covered roots. The stumps seemed to vibrate and flinch as they absorbed the liquid until none of it was left.

"Must hold on to the First World until…" he murmured.

Rising with caution, she gazed up at his bushy moss eyebrows and the gaping hole below them. "What was that?"

"Oh, it is so hard for me to remember things. My mind is not as clear as it once was." As the potion continued to sink in, the enormous tree groaned. "Ah, that's good!"

He suddenly looked past her, a distant look in his eyes. He began to speak in deep, hollow tones. Claire froze as the entirety of Ravenwood fell silent and undisturbed. She could not tear her gaze away from Bartleby, and the air around her grew cold.

"He comes at night to torment me! Find the one who can defeat him! That one is the Savior of Wizard City! Beware, Master Ambrose! Beware of Malistaire!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**OooOOOooHH cliffhanger (not really since probably all of you have played the game up to this part but)**

**So I'm sorry I haven't updated recently even though I said I would. I felt motivated today and I really like how this chapter turned out. As I was editing it I realized that a long time ago I added in so much extra dialog that didn't happen in the game and I'm starting to feel reconnected with the characters again haha. Oh how I miss being a low level wizard. So anyway, I think the pace is starting to pick up a little. There's definitely more to come! Please read and review! Hope you enjoyed it! **


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